Callback from the Universe

All right, I will stop with the whole universe thing, but shortly after Sunday's post, I got a callback for Metropolitan Playhouse. If this keeps up, the missus won't have to find a new job! (She is one of the many victims of the recession -- and of a boss who is a colossal dickwad.)

The Buitoni shoot went well last night, if late. A nice group of people though and, while waiting to be filmed, I heard a lot of crazy interesting stories from the Venezuelan dude playing the sculptor.

[Photo from NASA - copyright free!]

Buitoni Booking from the Universe

Right before getting karate-chopped in the crotch by a prepubescent in a unitard (well, maybe not right before, but earlier in the week) I decided that I would step it up and go to five auditions a week for the month of April.
I didn't think I was going to make it, despite going to two (2) EPAs*, which both went well (one for Pennsylvania Centre Stage and another for Barnstomers Theater); (3) an appointment at Metropolitan Playhouse for their upcoming production of It Pays To Advertise; and, finally, a (4) Saturday appointment for Jeffrey with The Play's The Thing.
I was going to be just one shy, when my agent called me Friday with a last minute audition at Stark Naked Productions for a demo commercial for Buitoni. That makes five! I'm not one to believe too heavily in asking the universe for a new car and getting one, but I have to admit I had put it out there and voila! got five auditions. And then I even booked the Buitoni gig!

In other great news: Kevin Tor, the writer and co-creator of my web series NoBuddies got some recognition from Z100 and NJ's 106.3 for "Butterface," his parody of Lady GaGa's "Pokerface."

*EPA = Equity Principal Audition: open auditions required of producers by the stage actors' union, Actors' Equity, whereby any member of the union can sign up for an appointment and be seen (and, hopefully, considered) for the play(s) the producer is casting.

Z ROCK Redux

Now I know why in showbiz they say you should never work with kids or animals:
Because kids are animals. And they will karate chop you in the nuts without even blinking. At least, that was my experience over the last two days. Being surrounded by a bunch of little kids was exhausting. I have renewed respect for teachers. [And I wish I had read this article before going on set.]

I can't say much more without spoiling the episode's plot. But I will say that, from what I saw, the guys in the band are genuinely good with kids and the crew was a great bunch of people to work with.

Z Rock Season 2 starts June 7th. I appear in the 6th Episode, which should air Sunday, July 12.

Electronics Recycling Is Also a Pain

You can now recycle your old electronics at Best Buy, rather than sending them to a landfill by putting them out on the curb. If you are recycling monitors or TVs under 32", they require you to buy $10 worth of stuff at Best Buy (i.e. they charge $10/item, but then turn around and give you a $10 gift card). Check their website for locations and items not accepted.

On a related note, check out this grim photo essay from TIME Magazine.

Bloodthirsty Sarah Palin

I guess former vice presidential candidate [shudder] and current governor of Alaska Sarah Palin was a caribou in a past life, given her relentless vendetta against Alaska's wolves and bears. Not only does she promote aerial hunting (not just allow - she offers a freakin' bounty) she is also planning to gas pups in the den.

Joe Cocker Captioned

This ain't mine, but my pal Brian sent me this hilarious link. If you got four minutes to kill, you could do worse.

Z ROCK!

I just booked two days next week on Z Rock, which airs on IFC Channel; season 2 starts in June.

Gimme 5 (Recycling's a Pain)

In New York City, the only plastics they recycle are #1 and #2. The rest = landfill. Recycling's a pain. I realize this. Ideally, municipalities would make it easier to recycle, so you could throw your soda can or water bottle* in the trash and it would end up recycled**, not in a landfill.

There is an alternative: Gimme 5, from the folks at Preserve.

Granted, you still have to collect your #5 plastics and bring them somewhere else (in this instance, Whole Foods), but at least you won't have that stomach-turning feeling when you throw a #5 yogurt container in the trash. You can also recycle the Brita filters you are using to filter the water you're pouring into your reusable bottles (see below).

More tips for hard-to-recycle items coming soon!

* Actually, I would recommend not drinking bottled water in the first place - it's a scam! Get yourself a reusable bottle from Sigg or Klean Kanteen. If you have multiples, you can fill them in advance, leave them in your fridge, and save yourself some money on your energy bill (not to mention the money you are saving on bottled water).

** I also realize that very few things are actually recycled, but rather are only downcycled: that #1 Poland Spring bottle doesn't become a new water bottle, it becomes some weird carpet or parking lot barrier. It's still going to end up in the landfill eventually, leaching toxins into the ground and water table. Ironic, isn't it? how the bottle of water you drink today because it's "pure" will poison your water tomorrow?
[Landfill photo by D'Arcy Norman]

Teach a Man Not to Overfish

It's Friday in Lent, and that means fish. That brings us to overfishing, which is catching fish faster than they can reproduce.

Help one meal at a time (even if you're not Catholic but rather are just a fish-eater) by referring to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

If you have an iPhone (and who doesn't these days, besides me?) you can download a free app to get up-to-date recommendations of fish to avoid. (Non-iPhoners can check out the pocket guides at mobile.seafoodwatch.org.)

If you're really old school, you can print out a printable PocketMod-like version here.

[Photo by ezee123]

NoBuddies Episode 6 "St. Patty's"

From NoBuddies writer Kevin Tor:

"This is our St. Patrick's Day episode in time for...yeahhhh. If you watch it, you might learn something new about St. Patrick that you can use to impress your friends as it slurs out of your mouth on the 17th. Who doesn't want to bring up a factoid to buy yourself some time before you have to drop that shot glass into your fifth pint of Guiness? We, at NoBuddies, are looking out for you."



Bill finds the gang getting a head start on celebrating St. Patty's Day.

Bill - William Franke
Gray - Sean McCormack
Cal - Kevin Tor
Girl - Sue White
Alexis - Catherine Nicora

Directed by William Franke
Written by Kevin Tor

Music - "Flow is Special" by rockamic (ccMixter)

Rush Limbaugh Is Still a Big Fat Idiot (And He's Not Alone)

I don't think I will get political too often on this blog, but this is a quick video that bears watching (besides being a little creepy).

"Despite the hysterics of a few pseudo-scientists, there is no reason to believe in global warming."

-- Rush Limbaugh [not a scientist of any kind]

It astounds me that there are still those that would deny the effects of global warming or the steps we could take to reverse it. And that some can't see that green jobs would only be a boon to the economy is flabbergasting.



Send a message by signing the petition here.

Vulcha Watch

Check out today's Recession This! for the Vulture Alert.

[Photo by Lip Kee]

NoBuddies Episode 5 "The Fan"

As Kevin said:
"We're starting to get into the groove. The new episodes are indicative of the show we are trying to make. I hope you will continue to check them out and pass them along."

In this episode...
Cal makes a new friend in the form of a fan.



Bill - William Franke
Alexis - Catherine Nicora
Cal - Kevin Tor
Gray - Sean McCormack
Girl - Sue White

Directed by William Franke
Written by Kevin Tor

Music - "Flow is Special" by rockamic (ccMixter)